Comments on: Second International Hygiene Exhibition, Dresden, 1930

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 16:06:10 +0000

The church almanac does not contain this kind of statistics — just those on church membership, number of missions, number of missionaries, that kind of thing.

It’s probable that birth and death statistics are compiled in some office since those are reported by ward clerks, but I don’t think cause of death is reported by clerks anymore. (The Form E statistical reports that used to be submitted to church headquarters annually did ask for that data.)

By: Eric Boysen

Eric Boysen — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 13:21:04 +0000

#4 – A single twist, making a mobius strip, would double the length of the message on the ribbon without adding to the required length, but it would prevent backlighting.

By: Michelle Glauser

Michelle Glauser — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 10:21:04 +0000

I was just at the Hygiene Museum in Dresden in December. How cool to see these numbers gathered by the Dresden Saints.

By: Steve C.

Steve C. — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:14:04 +0000

This was really typical of the Church’s PR/Missionary efforts in Europe at the time. It really was a perfect storm. There was a growing awareness among Europeans for health and fitness. The Church had just recently emphasized the WofW. This indicates the convergence of the two. The German missions continued to promote health/fitness/WofW at other events and venues throughout the 1930s. It was also the time when missionaries used basketball to make contacts–again playing up on the health/fitness movement.

The centennial celebration of the Church was another major event in Europe. Branches and districts held pageants etc. to commemorate the founding of the Church.

This really was the golden age of the Church in Germany.

Great post, Ardis.

By: Ray

Ray — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:54:56 +0000

Those are impressive numbers. Everything else aside, those numbers are impressive.

By: Edje

Edje — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:20:47 +0000

“a moving, endless, lighted ribbon which tells the story”: I conjecture that this is like a present-day scrolling electronic message box. (e.g., http://www.community-news.com/files/images/signs.preview.jpg).

I’m imagining a white ribbon, say 2 inches wide and 10 feet long, with the ends of the ribbon sewn together to form a (non-twisted) circle. The text is printed in black 1-1/2-inch letters along the length of the ribbon (and the outside of the circle). With a series of motorized axles, one could have a portion of the ribbon, say 1 foot long, facing the audience and moving at a readable speed. Since the ribbon ends are sewn together, the story keeps repeating as long as the motor is on (or the missionary cranks the pedal). Perhaps the ribbon was even back-lit. Not counting the motor, the apparatus would fit in a 1.5×1.5×0.5 foot box.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:13:20 +0000

I don’t know the answer, kevinf — if no one else comes up with it before then, I’ll check at the library tomorrow and pull out some recent numbers, if they’re there.

J., among all the other reasons why the 19th century might not have compared so favorably, I really like Elder Widtsoe’s admission that the WoW was “imperfectly practiced.”

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 00:10:25 +0000

I imagine that a comparison of 19th century Mormons would not have been so favorable. However, the Relief Society did a bang-up job on maternity and hygiene. And really, for the first portion of the 20th century, besides nutrition, they were the massive determinants of health.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 23:36:36 +0000

“a moving, endless, lighted ribbon which tells the story of the Word of Wisdom.” = Liahona?

Interesting numbers. Does the church still keep or publish these kinds of statistics? I have never owned a Deseret News Church Almanac, so I may be remarkably ignorant of such things.